High-Speed Rail Visioning Project Kicks Off Today

to read a full overview of the high-speed rail visioning process on Gilroy Patch.

A “community kickoff” tonight will mark the first large-scale meeting in Gilroy’s homegrown high-speed rail study.

The meeting follows a Spanish-language workshop earlier in the month, one that project manager Jeff Williams said was important to encourage the Spanish-speaking community to participate in the five-month study.

“We’re going to work closely with the community to develop a comprehensive vision for that station,” said the project manager in an earlier interview with Gilroy Patch.

The study will look at the two options under consideration for Gilroy’s high-speed rail station: a downtown location or a station in a section of unincorporated land east of town, said Williams.

A $150,000 grant from VTA helped to cover the $200,000 needed for the five-month study and the help of the consulting firm, THE PLANNING CENTER | Design, Community & Environment.

Williams encouraged Gilroy residents who have never attended a rail workshop to take part in the visioning process, supporting the effort to draw input from a broad selection of the community.

Several members of the firm’s staff–including its founder–will be joining Gilroy’s Transportation Engineer Don Dey on the project. Through a series of community meetings and impact studies, the firm will present a single recommendation that will pass through the Gilroy City Council before moving on to the California High-Speed Rail Authority.

While the rail authority has the final say, Dey told the council last month that the recommendation would have a significant impact on their final decision.

The meeting will be held at the Gilroy Senior Center, 7371 Hanna Street, at 6:30 p.m.